True partnership and engagement with communities requires healthcare and social service organizations to move beyond transactional relationships. In this whitepaper, our friends at The Justice Collective (TJC) outline the questions and approaches we must consider to foster more intentional, meaningful connections and partnerships.

Among their recommendations to strengthen connections:

• Center on storytelling
• Elevate impacted voices
• Leverage existing community assets
• Partner with those who already do this work

In TJC’s experience, there is incredible potential to grow and gain new knowledge when organizations treat the communities we serve as partners, as opposed to recipients of services. By respecting the dignity and personhood of every individual — and empowering through meaningful community engagement — we stand to significantly improve the impact of our change initiatives.

Dig in to TJC’s questions and insight

About the Contributors

Lena Carew co-founded The Justice Collective through the momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2015 with a cohort of like-minded leaders of color bringing their skills from across sectors to the movement of organizational effectiveness for racial equity and social impact. Learn more about Lena’s experience.

Ellie Tumbuan is a proud Oakland-based co-owner and Managing Partner of The Justice Collective. A multicultural, multiethnic strategist, advisor, and coach, Ellie has been working at the intersections of movement building and leadership for over 20 years, leveraging the power of identity to connect and educate disparate, diverse groups to come together for a common cause. Learn more about Ellie’s work.